Dear Dr. Dean

 

I am a 59-year-old professional man living in the southwest. I read and very much appreciated your story about the impact of yeast in men in your October blog.

 

I was severely impacted by a yeast overgrowth. As a man, the symptoms of sugar cravings and carb loading are oh-so-familiar to me.

 

In 1994, I was experiencing severe lethargy, nausea, sinus drainage and incredible bouts of athlete's foot and jock itch. Although I didn't really know anything about yeast at the time, in hindsight, I suspect that my initial yeast exposure was most likely sexual in origin.

 

My doctor dismissed the athlete's foot and jock itch and told me to use over-the-counter topical treatments. For the sinus drainage and lethargy he diagnosed (incorrectly) a bacterial sinus infection and prescribed a course of antibiotics. This, of course, had no effect except to make the symptoms worse. This was combated by prescribing a stronger dose of antibiotics. The cycle kept getting worse and worse until I just resigned myself to feeling that way forever.

 

About six months later, in an annual physical, the same doctor noticed I had yellow toenails and said I had a fungal growth. He said he would prescribe an antifungal to clear up the nails if they bothered me. I told him I wasn't really vain about my toenails and we could pass. So we did.

 

Six months later I was in for flu shots and a general checkup -- still lethargic and nauseated all the time from the sinus drainage. He said he had a sample prescription of Sporonox, an antifungal medication, and he gave me two tablets to take home and try for the yellow toenails.

 

Within two days, the results were so astounding that I knew we had hit on something remarkable. I called him back and begged for a prescription for the full course of treatment. He discounted the possibility that there was any connection between the toenails fungus and my other symptoms, but said he could prescribe on the basis of my toenails.

 

My athlete's foot disappeared, my jock itch disappeared, my energy level skyrocketed, the sinus drainage and nausea stopped completely. The doctor still refused to accept any link. He insisted that yeast issues were the domain of women and people with HIV compromised immune systems exclusively and, since I was neither, I couldn't possibly have a yeast problem.

 

I started my own investigation into yeast overgrowths and fungal infections. My studies confirmed that men can be subjected to yeast overgrowth. Based on my research, I decided to start a diet regimen designed to starve out the yeast and promote the probiotics.

 

This worked well for a little while until I contracted pneumonia in 1999. The antibiotic regimen to treat the pneumonia threw the yeast balance out of whack again so badly that I contracted a case of jock itch so severe that it had oozing sores.

 

Once again the doctor (a different one this time) refused to accept that there could be a link between the antibiotics and the secondary symptoms. I was sent away with topical creams and pain relievers.

 

In time, the outward symptoms lessened, but the old symptoms of lethargy nausea and drainage returned. The lethargy was so severe that I could not stay awake in the afternoons regardless of the amount of sleep I had the night before. I could not exercise for lack of energy and constantly felt bad.

 

You have to understand that this is so counter to me for most of my life that it is hard to believe. I was an active runner, workouts four times a week, extreme energy and almost no illness of any kind in my past.

 

I finally found a new doctor whom I was able to convince I had a yeast overgrowth. It was no easy matter since she also subscribed to the school that said yeast can't happen in otherwise healthy men.

 

I begged and pleaded for a prescription for Sporanox and she finally relented only under the condition that if I did not experience the expected relief by the third dose, I would contact her and we would discuss the balance of the prescription. By the second pill I was back to high energy and no nausea and no drainage and no athlete's foot or jock itch. I could demonstrate the departure of the rashes and blisters but she had to accept my word on the rest.

 

Since that regimen, I have not had a recurrence but then again I am very reluctant to take any course of antibiotics to the point where I had oral surgery and refused the antibiotic prescription without any subsequent difficulty. Apparently my metabolism can handle bacteria far more readily that yeast or fungus.

 

I know there are other men out there being misdiagnosed by thousands of physicians and my heart goes out to them for the difference between health and yeast is the difference between depression and joy. All I know is that while others hoard antibiotics just in case-- I have a stash of antifungals - just in case.

 

The impact of the yeast is so profound I can't believe it - but then again neither can your average health practitioner.

 

Press on with your good work!